Japan: The Shaping of Daimyo Culture, 1185-1868. National Gallery of Art

Wachington: National Gallery of Art, 1988. – 416 p.
Japan: The Shaping of Daimyo Culture explores the culture created by warriors of medieval and modern Japan. Daimyo were feudal lords who, as leaders of powerful warrior bands, controlled the provinces of Japan from the beginning of the Kamakura period in 1185 to the end of the Edo period in 1868. This warrior class, as newly risen holders of political authority, developed cultural traditions inherited from the court. Later, the evolution of early modern culture in the Edo period resulted from the participation of both the daimyo and the merchant class. The works of art gathered here reflect the active role of the warriors in the development of an important part of Japanese cultural history. This catalog accompanied the first exhibition to explore the artistic legacy of the daimyo, bringing together works of art from more than 100 collections.